Coin-controlled vending-machine.



PATENTED APR. 12, 1904.

' F. E. LEVANSELER. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

rll n fnvenzor YNE NURNS PVT-4S LY) PNUTO-LIYNO WASNINGYON D No. 757,321. PATENTED APR. 12, 1.904.

r. E. LEVANSELER.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 13, 1902.

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Patented April 12, 1904.

PAT NT OFFICE.

FRANK E. LEVANSELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,321, dated ApriI 12, 1904-.

Application filed March 13, 1902. Serial No. 98,052. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, FRANK E. LEVANSEL'ER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Vending- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of coin-controlled vending-machines used for retailing or delivering peanuts, candy, and other small articles in bulk upon the deposit of a coin of the requisite denomination; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The objects of my invention are to provide a vending-machine of the above-named character which shall be so constructed that when desired the roasted peanuts contained therein may be kept and delivered hot and so that it can be seen when the magazine or receptacle for holding the peanuts, candy, and the like is empty.

Another object is to prevent the peanuts,- candy, &c., becoming caked in the magazine, thus assuring the delivery of a certain quantity thereof on the deposit of each coin.

A further and important object is to so construct the device that it cannot be operated except by means of a coin of the denomination for which a certain quantity of the article is sold and will reject coins of a different denomination, as well as slugs and washers, unless the slugs are of the precise size of the required com.

Still another object is to so construct thetion will be disclosed in the subjoined descrip tion and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, will now proceed to describe.

it, referring to the accompanyingdrawings, in wh1ch- Figure 1 is a front view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a vending-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is side view thereof, partly in section and partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective View of the delivery-plunger and measure. Fig. i is a view in elevation of the inner side of the casing for the operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the inner side of the casing removed. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5 looking in the-direction indicated by the arrows, showing a portion of the coin-carrier and a part of the casing therefor and illustrating the parts in their initial positions. Fig. 7 is a similar view taken on the same plane, but showing the position the parts will occupy when the coin has been inserted and the plunger therefor moved downward. Fig. 8 is a fragmental edge view of the coin-carrier; and Fig. 9 is an inner face view of a portion of the casing for the operating mechanism, showing the spring to engage the coin-carrier.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings, in which the casing is shown as being rectangular in shape and comprisinga supporting-frame or base A and an upper portion A, which upper portion is preferably provided in its front surface and on each of its sides with an opening a, closed by a plate 7 glass at, through which the articles to be sold may be seen. The upper end of the part A is provided with a cover A", which may be raised when it is desired to place the peanuts or articles in the magazine B and may be fastened by means of a hasp a and a staple a or otherwise.

The upper portion of the supporting-frame or base A of the casing is inwardly inclined and is provided with a vertical flange aon its perimeter to receive the lower end of the portion A, which carries a hopper A provided in its bottom with a central opening a for the passage of the peanuts or other articles from the vmagazine B to the measuring-receptacle c in the delivery-plunger C, as will be presently explained. The magazine B is secured within the upper portion A of the casing in such a manner that its front portion and sides will be held at a slight distance from the walls of the casing or glass therein and has its upper and lower ends open. The front portion of the supporting-frame or base A is provided with a trough or tray B, and just above said trough or tray with a chute B, the outer end of which may be closed by means of a weighted door 6, hinged to the casing.

Extending from the rear to the front wall of the base of the casing and located in its upper portion is a guide C for the deliveryplunger G, which guide has near its front end the said arm and delivery-plunger.

an opening 0, which communicates with the chute B as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Located on the inner surface of the bottom of the base A is a circular lamp-holder 0 in which an alcohol or other suitable lamp 0 may be placed and held for heating and keeping hot the roasted peanuts within the magazine.

Located in the lower portion of the baseA is a cash-box D, which communicates through a chute d witha chute d on the lower portion of the casing of the coin-actuated mechanism. This box or receptacle may be opened and closed by means of a suitable door 03 secured to one side of the base of the casing.

Secured at its upper end to one side of the upper portion A of the main casing is the inner portion E of the casing for the coin-actuated mechanism, which comprises an inner plate E and an outer portion E, which has at its edges flanges e, which, together with the plate E, form a box-like receptacle for the coincarrier F, which is vertically and movably located therein. The pieces E and E, forming the casing for the operating mechanism, are secured together by means of screws 6 and are suitably connected to the inclined portion of the upper part of the base'A of the main casing and communicate through the chutes d and d with the cash-box. Horizontally journaled in the lower portion of the base A is a crank-shaft G, on the outer end of which is secured a crank Gr, used for operating the delivery-plunger C and the coin-carrier. On the inner end of the shaft G is secured an arm H, which is pivotally connected at its upper end to one end of a link H, the other end of which is secured to the side of the delivery-plunger near its rear end. Secured at one of its ends to the arm H is a spring H the other end of which is secured to the rear portion of the main casing and is employed for retracting Fixed on the crank-shaft G is another arm I, which has pivotally connected to its upper end a link I, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of the coin carrier F, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This carrier is provided on its inner surface with a recess f, which preferably extends diagonally across the same, and has about its middle a longitudinal slot 9, in which is loosely located a gage piece or plate It, having on its surface adjacent to the plate E a beveled projection h to impinge the surface of the coin of the requisite denomination and to fit in the opening of a slug or washer when the same are used in an attempt to operate the machine. The surface of the carrier F adjacent to the plate E is provided with a transverse recess or notch 72, to engage a spring its on the inner surface of the plate E, as is shownin Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. The front lower portion of the casing for the operating mechanism formed by the plates E and E is provided withaslot it, with which the recess f in the coin-carrier registers when said carrier is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 5, in which figure it will be observed that the carrier is provided just below the recess f with a rounded shoulder f, against which rests a spring-pressed dog 9, which is pivotally secured to the casing for the operating mechanism.

Pivotally secured at one of its ends to the arm H is an agitator M, which extends through slots m in the bottom of the hopper and astride the delivery-plunger and its guide, asis clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Pivotally secured to the front lower portion of the hopper A is an elbow shaped dog or detent N, one of the arms, 92, of which extends inwardly and may be pressed by a spring n, if desired.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be readily seen and clearly understood that when the parts are assembled, as above set forth, the magazine B and spaces between its Walls and the walls of the upper portion of the main casing may be filled with peanuts, candy, and the like by inserting them in the top of the casing. When thus filled, if either of the glass plates a should be broken it is apparent that the articles located between the wall of the magazine and said broken plate only can be removed and that the articles within the magazine will be kept intact. By placing a coin of the proper denomination in the slot it of the casing of the operating mechanism the spring 1& will be disengaged from the notch 71, in the coin-carrier by reason of the gagepiece h,which will be pressed outwardly on account of the coin coming in contact with its projection it, when by turning the crank-shaft G by means of the crank or lever G thereon the coin-carrier F will be drawn downward until the coin reaches the inclined chute d, from which it will pass through the chute d into the cash-box. As the coin-carrier is moved downwardly the coin (if of the proper size in circumference) will hold the dog 9 in about the position it occupies as shown in Fig. 5, thus allowing the upper edge of the recess f to pass said dog; but if a coin or slug smaller in circumference than the required coin be used said dog will impinge the upper edge of the recess 7" and prevent the further nomination be used or a slug or washer with a hole in it be employed, it is apparent that the gage-piece it will not depress the spring h sufliciently to disengage it from the carrier and will thereby prevent the movement of the same. When the crank-shaft G shall have been turned, as above stated, it is apparent that the arm H thereon, which is connected to the delivery-plunger C, will cause the same to advance from under the opening a in the hopper, through which the measure 0 receives its supply, to the opening 0 in the guide 0, through which the articles will be discharged into the chute B from which they may be taken by raising the door 6, when the same is employed. In the forward movement of the delivery-plunger it is evident that its front end will contact with the downwardly-depending arm of the detent N, and as the plunger advances farther the inwardlyextending arm n of said detent will enter the opening 0, and thus force the articles contained therein through the same, thereby preventing any possibility of said articles becoming caked or massed therein. At the same time the delivery-plunger is being advanced the agitator M will be caused to turn on its fulcrum, thus loosening up the articles contained in the hopper and lower portion of the magazine.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination with a casing provided with a slot, of a coin-carrier movably located in said casing and having on one of its sides a recess provided with a slot and below said recess with a shoulder and on its other side a notch, a spring to engage the notch on the coin-carrier, a gage-piece located in said slot and provided with a projection on one of its sides, a spring actuated dog pivotally secured to the casing to contact with the shoulder on the coin-carrier, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-controlled vending-machine, the combination with a casing for the operating mechanism provided with a slot, of a coincarrier movably located in said casing and having on one of its sides a recess provided with a slot and on its other side a notch, a gage-piece located in said slot and provided with a projection on one of its sides, and a spring to engage the notch on the coin-carrier, substantially as described.

FRANK E. LEVANSELER. Witnesses:

CHAs. (J. TILLMAN, A. GUsTAFsoN. 

